South West Liberal MP Roma Britnell has called on the state government to publicly release details of the lease arrangements for the Maroona to Portland rail line.
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Stakeholders have been calling for the line to be upgraded from 19 tonne axle loads (TAL) to 23 TAL to improve its competitiveness.
Ms Britnell said due to the line no longer being fit for purpose, producers and exporters were being largely forced to turn back to the state's "dilapidated and dangerous road network" to get their goods to port.
"It has been estimated the upgrades to the Portland Maroona line could take up to 70,000 truck trips off our road each year, and we are seeing nothing like that at present," Ms Britnell said.
A $2.2 million business case looking at upgrading the line, carried out by the Australian Rail Track Corporation, has been presented to the federal government.
In 2008 the Victorian State Government announced it would lease the rail line to the ARTC.
Ms Britnell said one specific obligation of the lease was that the line was to be maintained at a minimum to be able to carry 19 TAL.
"Since 2008 the people of south west coast have witnessed a deterioration of the line to the extent that it is hardly fit for purpose and trains frequently derail," she said.
"Ideally we need to see the line consistent with the wider rail network, which is currently a 23 TAL with the ability for trains to travel at 80 kilometres an hour," Ms Britnell said.
"To understand what is going wrong here, we need the Victorian government to release its lease documents so we can understand what all parties' obligations are.
"Will ARTC face any penalties for failing to maintain and upgrade the rail line as required?
"If not, why not?"
Port of Portland chief executive Greg Burgoyne said it appeared the lease, between V/Line and the ARTC, stipulated the line must be maintained to a certain standard.
"It is a public asset and we should be entitled to the information, unless it is commercial-in-confidence," Mr Burgoyne said.
"I would have said the track standard is in the public interest."
There was a real possibility that the line might have to be closed, if it continued to deteriorate.
"I think the reality is we are going to confront potentially closing the line," he said.
"I have heard that in parts it's down to 20 kilometres an hour, in other parts it's 40km/h.
"But what we do know is it takes nearly seven hours to travel between Maroona and Portland, a distance of 172 kilometres."
He said it was disappointing that there had been no money set aside, in the recent federal budget, to upgrade the track.
"The question has been asked in the Victorian parliament, but really someone in the federal parliament needs to ask the question of the ARTC."
A state government spokesperson said the line was managed by the ARTC and any investments were a matter for the commonwealth.
"We have been advocating for much-needed improvements to the line, to restore rail speeds and improve reliability along this important freight corridor between Portland and Maroona," the spokesperson said.
"We remain focused on improving the capacity, performance and reliability of all modes to deliver the best possible transport network to and from our ports.''
The lease was publicly available on the ARTC website.
The ARTC has been contacted for comment.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
